Here are the B-asics
Our buckets are minimal (B-asic) or decorated (Bee-autiful or B-old), with striking silhouettes or informational messages, meant to blend into your landscape or stand out, your preference. Mix and match.
Bucket systems are easy and economical! Once installed, they require quick and simple monthly maintenance (no more than 5 minutes!) — just add part of a dunk (less than a dollar per bucket). Buckets can be used year after year. If you are concerned about remembering the schedule for replenishing them – don’t worry – we’ll remind you via email.
Here is how they work:
bucket + dunk (Bti disk) + water + grass + lid + optional stick and stones
Our buckets are designed to be used with a mosquito-specific toxin, Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), which is a naturally-occurring bacterium found in soil and known to kill mosquito larvae (as well as the larvae of black flies and fungus gnats); it has been used for over 30 years.
Water and grass clippings (or other yard waste) attract female mosquitoes, who lay eggs in or around the water. Many species of mosquitoes are seeking exactly this kind of container, especially in urban areas. Bti slowly dissolves and prevents larvae from developing by disrupting their feeding.
The lids keep critters (squirrels, chipmunks, pets) from disturbing the buckets. Other insects may still make their way into the water into the bucket and can climb out, unharmed (with the addition of a stick, which you can insert through the mesh or lean on the side, though we don’t recommend sticks for yards with children). We do recommend stones for yards that might have large pets or active kids; they add extra weight to keep the buckets upright, and thus functional.
Why Choose Buckets over Sprays?
Mosquito buckets with Bti provide an effective method of mosquito control that does not affect pollinators and other beneficial insects, birds, and aquatic life, all of which can be harmed by abatement sprays that wipe out their food sources and may run off into water systems. All spray applications risk drifting, spreading to unintended areas, nearby plants and lawns, even neighboring yards, consumed and traversed by other creatures, including pets and people.
Most abatement spraying or fogging systems are applying pyrethroids, synthetic chemicals related to BUT NOT pyrethrins, which are derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are more stable and persistent, and sometimes the applications have other chemicals added to increase their potency and longevity. It is our understanding that they must come into contact with adult mosquitoes to kill them, and the application time (during the day) does not always align when mosquitoes are out (many at night). It lingers on foliage, poisoning other life. The “natural” or “organic” sprays may have some effectiveness, usually shorter-term than the synthetic versions, but they are repelling beneficial insects in addition to mosquitoes.
We have experience with local companies misrepresenting their products to us, claiming their products “green,” that they are flower oils or “botanical sprays,” the latter the most problematic term we have heard; this language suggests sustainability and safety but masks the actual chemical compositions, especially tricky business as it refers to the site and method of application (in our area they typically spray on foundation plants and shrubs with gas-powered leaf blowers), not the components. When in doubt, ask for Safety Data Sheets.
We want to B THE CHANGE and B GOOD TO POLLINATORS. Please join us.
According to entomologist Doug Tallamy, commercial mosquito sprays–-popular and expensive–-kill a small percentage of adult mosquitoes. Mosquito buckets, in sufficient numbers and effective locations, eliminate the majority of larvae, addressing the problem at its source, in ways safer and sustainable for all of us. Watch this short video to hear directly from Doug:
We’d like to make buckets for you, but if you would prefer to make your own buckets, here are instructions.
